


Stay

by Buttercup12



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Children, Eventual Romance, Father!Eddie, Father-Daughter Relationship, M/M, Manny!Richie, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-02-27 06:24:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13242363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buttercup12/pseuds/Buttercup12
Summary: Hellloooo! I've been wanting to write this story for a while now. I already know how I want the story to go, but I'm not sure how many chapters I want to split it up into, so we'll see. But I'll be posting chapters quickly since I have the entire plot done in my head. I really hope you enjoy this chapter. I've had the idea for a while, and I'm happy to finally be writing it. Enjoy! Also, happy new year everyone! Here's to 2018! Hope it brings lots of beautiful times and moments for you all. Happy reading! :)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hellloooo! I've been wanting to write this story for a while now. I already know how I want the story to go, but I'm not sure how many chapters I want to split it up into, so we'll see. But I'll be posting chapters quickly since I have the entire plot done in my head. I really hope you enjoy this chapter. I've had the idea for a while, and I'm happy to finally be writing it. Enjoy! Also, happy new year everyone! Here's to 2018! Hope it brings lots of beautiful times and moments for you all. Happy reading! :)

The nameplate is black, with white lettering. It's supposed to look nice and neat, but the paint is chipping and the letters are beginning to fade. For such a prestigious elementary school, it's a wonder why they won't look into getting nicer nameplates. Odd.

_Principal Lawrence._

His first name is Matthew, and Richie thinks that he'll just refer to him as that from now on. 'Principal Lawrence' just sounds so old, and this man definitely isn't that old. If anything, Richie will be doing him a favor.

"So. Mr. Tozier," Matthew begins.

"Matthew," Richie replies. "Just Richie is fine with me, by the way. You know, I think we're definitely on that first name basis. I think we have a pretty solid relationship, don't you think?"

This is job interview number three in one day. Richie is in a suit and tie, a very rare outfit. He wants to stuff his hands in his pockets like he does with every single other outfit he puts together, but he knows that won't look exactly  _professional_ so he leaves his fingers carded together in his lap. Politely. 

Matthew simply stares at him for a few moments, probably wondering if Richie is joking, but when Richie doesn't even crack a humorous grin, he lets out an awkward chuckle and rubs the back of his neck.

"Yes. Yes, of course. Well. Richie. Thank you for traveling out here for this interview. I know a Saturday isn't the most ideal day for an interview at an elementary school, so I appreciate your dedication," Matthew says.

There's an edge in his voice, though. Richie already knows where this is going.

"I have to say, your application is very impressive. You also come highly recommended from your college professors," Matthew says as he leans back in his chair and gives him that  _look._ The look that Richie has already seen twice today, in his previous interviews. 

He knows this interview has pretty much gone to shit, just like the others. He knew it was going to shit, pretty much five seconds into it starting.

"But?" Richie asks.

Matthew stares him in the eye for what feels like forever, before staring at the wall behind him and sighing deeply.

"As I'm sure you're aware of, our school prides ourselves on maintaining a level of diversity and acceptance among everyone. We want to thrive and grow, and we want  everyone to develop a sense of understanding and acceptance among many different lifestyles. No one is the same, and our goal here is to make sure everyone really understands just how...uh, diverse some people can be," Matthew finishes lamely.

Richie clears his throat and stares down at the floor. He knows what Matthew means. He didn't exactly make the best first impression when he first walked into the office. He's always had a bit of a big mouth, a  _loud_ mouth. And he's definitely got a sense of.... _vulgar_ humor. Very vulgar, sometimes. He should've realized that an elementary school principal wouldn't really want to hear  _those_ types of jokes.

"But?" Richie prompts again.

"We do have to maintain a certain level of professionalism," Matthew says. "While I'm sure you'd be a fantastic teacher, I'm not sure this is the school that may be the right fit for you. I'm sure you understand our dilemma."

Richie runs a hand through his wild curls, sighing slightly.

"Look," Richie reasons. "If you need the jokes to stop, they'll stop. Trust me, I'd never speak like that in front of the children. What kind of moron do you think I am? I mean, I am an idiot but not  _that_ much of an idiot," Richie jokes.

He earns no laugh in return. Matthew slides his application packet back across the desk, towards Richie. 

This is about the twelfth time he's heard that type of reasoning for not getting a job this month. His  _personality_ is causing him to miss out on all these jobs. Every since he's gotten his teacher certification, he just can't seem to make amends with any school principals, which pisses him off to no end.

"I'm a teacher, Mr. Lawrence," Richie continues, seriously this time. "I've gotten my certification and everything. It's official. Please. Just give me a chance to prove that I can be a great teacher for those kids."

The shake of the head he earns in response comes as no surprise. Matthew really is hard to persuade.

"So, I guess it'll be one of those 'We'll call you' interviews?" Richie says glumly.

"I'm very sorry, Richie. There's a position out there for you somewhere. I know it. Perhaps a public school," Matthew replies. He says 'public school' with such distaste, and this makes Richie realize that he really hasn't left a good impression on this man  _at all._

Richie doesn't bother reminding him that public schools also wouldn't take too kindly to his personality either.

"Yeah, okay," Richie nods. He stands up and pushes his chair in. 

He heads for the door, ignoring Matthew's request of a hand shake. "Nice meeting you, and all," he says.

"Best of luck to you with your job search, Mr. Tozier," Matthew says.

"Shove that luck up your ass," Richie says to himself as he exits the room. 

Three steps outside and he's already cursing and reaching into his pockets for his cigarettes. He lights one as he walks to his car. By the time he reaches his vehicle, he's taking long drags and groaning loudly. He tugs his tie loose and unbuttons the jacket. What a damn waste of a nice suit.

* * *

 

By the time he's home, he's no longer pissed, but just plain  _exhausted._ These interviews are really starting to take a toll on him mentally  _and_ physically. He's not sure when it began, but all he knows is that he just wants it to end.

He drops his bag by the door and drags his feet to the couch before dropping himself down on it. He immediately leans his head back and closes his eyes, exhaling loudly. He knows he has things he needs to be doing. He should be applying for more jobs. But he also knows that applying for jobs is what he absolutely doesn't want to be doing either, so he makes sure to not even glance in his laptop's direction, instead choosing to watch some shitty cartoons on the television.

It doesn't take him a long time at all to feel his already heavy eyelids droop all the way shut.

* * *

 

His small nap comes to an extreme halt when the bag he dropped by the door comes flying at him, and hits him in the chest with a very impressive force.

"W-what the fuck, Hanlon? I've had a shitty day. Fuck off," Richie says as he flicks him off.

Mike continues to stand over him with his arms crossed, obviously letting Richie know that he wasn't going anywhere.

"Richie, we gotta talk," Mike says as he sits down next to him on the couch.

"What part of 'I've had a shitty day' do you not understand? Do I need to repeat it, my sweet boy?"

"Richie. It's January tenth today. The wedding is in two weeks," Mike says seriously.

Richie glances at him, completely unaware of what Mike is talking about.

Oh wait. He gets it.

"You can't be serious!" Richie exclaims. "Are you serious?"

"You agreed to our deal, Richie! What am I supposed to say?"

"But that was last year! You can't hold me to that. I was young and naive back then. I don't have a job yet! How the hell am I supposed to move out?" Richie shouts.

Mike shakes his head, his mouth in a tight line.

"Look, she's moving in! I mean, maybe I can convince her to let you stay until after the honeymoon, but I'm not sure if she'd agree to that. You promised, man. I cannot start my marriage with her already getting pissed at me because you leave your dirty clothes everywhere around the apartment!"

Richie groans.

"Okay. First of all, I don't leave my dirty clothes on the floor anymore. That's all you. Is that why Valerie hates me? Because you tell her that I'm the one to leave my dirty clothes everywhere even though it's actually you?"

"Pshhh, no," Mike responds weakly. However, the guilty look in his eyes let Richie know that, yes, Mike most likely _does_ blame Richie for all his own antics to avoid getting bitched out by his soon to be wife. "And she doesn't hate you, Richie."

"Whatever. Secondly, how the fuck am I supposed to find another place to stay when I can't even get a damn job?"

Mike gives him a sympathetic look, his eyes softening.

"Is it that bad?" Mike asks gently.

"Yeah. Apparently my great humor wouldn't roll over too well with all the parents, you know? I don't understand though. I'm fucking awesome. What's not to love?" Richie says as he gestures at himself.

Mike chuckles.

"I don't really know what to tell you," Mike shrugs. "I guess I'll talk to Valerie about it. See if I can get you another extension. At least until you get a job. But you so owe me for this. You can buy us a new....microwave or some shit to pay me back."

"You got it," Richie responds with a nod. "Now, please tell me how I can get a job."

"You could go into private child care," Mike suggests.

"Private child care?" Richie grimaces. "Oh, shit."

"You could be a cute little nanny," Mike jokes. "Actually, you'd be a  _manny."_

Richie makes a noise of disgust.

"A nanny? No fucking way, dude. I'm not interested."

"Well, you've gotta start somewhere!"

Richie sighs, knowing his friend is right. He ponders for a few minutes before finally giving in.

"Yeah, you're right," he says quietly. "There's gotta be at least  _one_ family who can handle all  _this,_ right?"

Mike hums a noise of agreement before clapping Richie on the shoulder.

"Two weeks. I'm sure something will come up."

* * *

Two weeks, seven childcare agency interviews, and one crazy house party later, Richie finds himself lounging on the couch on a Saturday morning. Mike and Valerie are off loving each other somewhere on their honeymoon and Richie hates them for being so cute and in love.

He's spent way too much time since they left just watching cartoons, and eating takeout every night. He doesn't know what to do with the job search anymore. He considers retail, but that just disgusts him. Maybe he should just sell an organ. That could work.

All he's found out the past few weeks is that these childcare agencies are just as strict as actual elementary schools. They despise his personality, but he just can't  _help it._ He is who he is. Of course, he knows how to behave around  _children._ He would be a damn fantastic teacher. But there seems to not be a single adult who likes him. At all.  _I'm sorry. I'm not sure you're the type of employee we're looking for at this moment._

 

 

Richie lets out a frustrated noise. He reaches his hands up to shut his laptop, when  _one_ more job advertisement on Craigslist catches his eye. 

" **FED UP WITH "TRADITIONAL" NANNY CARE (LIVE-IN)"**

_Busy, slightly disorganized, but well intentioned, divorced single father with full custody of a five year old in desperate need of keeping our lives on track._

_I'm a full time nurse, meaning I work long, long, LONG, hours. I can't do that when I've got a five year old tucked under my arm. I am looking for a live-in assistant to help me reorganize my entire life. I want you to keep my child (and me) from living off of cheerios, pop tarts, chicken nuggets, and kraft mac & cheese. _

_Traditional public childcare agencies have been a disaster for my daughter. Having someone take care of my little girl's creative spirit has proven to be a bit of a task. She's got lots of creativity....and energy...and a lot of independence...really, she's got a lot of curiosity, too. I need someone to help us manage our daily routines, meal prep, housekeeping, laundry, organize special events for us, remind me what day and time it is, and possibly chaperone school trips. Anything that needs to be done, really..._

_I know what you're thinking. I should probably just be searching for a housewife. But I tried marriage once, and that obviously didn't work out so look where I am now._

_You will be making a very nice salary with me, and any additional living expenses will be covered when I choose the right candidate. (Yes, you'll have to pass a full background check with me. I'm very disorganized, but I'm not an idiot.)_

_Private room, shared bath, full run of our kitchen, internet access and every single television channel known to man on an unreasonably large TV. Your work hours will vary, but Sundays, most Saturdays and every night after 7:30 PM are yours to do as you wish...most of the time. Compensation will reflect any and all times that's not true._

"Huh," Richie says to himself when he's finished reading. He rereads it a couple more times, and finally makes a decision. He quickly goes back over his resume, making sure it looks okay, along with his letters of recommendation. 

He opens up a new email, and titles it, "Look no further, young grasshopper."

* * *

 

The next day, he's right back on the couch, with another cup of Easy Mac in his hands. He's watching reruns of Law & Order this time, when his phone suddenly rings. He doesn't even bother checking the Caller ID before speaking.

"Richie Tozier's phone, Richie speaking," he mumbles into the speaker, still chewing on his last mouthful of Mac & Cheese.

"Richie, hello," a voice says on the other line. Richie definitely doesn't recognize the voice. It's light and friendly sounding. It sounds kind of high pitched, but not girly. Just higher. "Uh, this is 'young grasshopper' as you put it in the email. I guess I know your name now."

Oh shit, it's that live-in guy.

"Oh!" Richie says while shooting up and swallowing. "Uh, hi. I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon....or at all, uh...grasshopper?"

The man on the other line giggles into the speaker, making Richie feel much more at ease.

"Grasshopper? You actually think my name could be grasshopper? You're crazy," the man says through his giggles. "Eddie. My name is Eddie Kaspbrak. Hi. Again. Look, I know it's Sunday and it's not the most ideal day for an interview, but do you think you could swing by my house for an informal interview?"

"Today?" Richie says dumbly, running a hand through his wild and untamed hair. He cringes when he realizes he didn't shower last night. "Um, yeah. Sure, I can do that."

"Great!" Eddie says brightly, before rattling out an address. "Say, three o'clock? My daughter should be back from my mother's by then."

"Wait," Richie cuts in. "Can you repeat that address? Sorry, you were going a little fast."

Eddie repeats himself and Richie double checks.

"So, three?"

"Three. See you then," Eddie confirms before hanging up.

* * *

 

The neighborhood that Richie finds himself in a few hours later is pretty nice. He can imagine nurses and teachers living in this type of neighborhood. It's a neighborhood that  _screams_ big families. However, he realizes that he probably should've done a little background checking of his own.

He reaches a gate that's locked, and his car comes screeching to a stop. He sees a couple call boxes, one of them labeled "Kaspbrak residence." He presses the button and waits a few seconds.

"Richie? Is that you?" A voice crackles through the speaker.

"Uh, yeah. Hey, so you're not like...a crazy serial killer or anything, right? Like, I don't have to worry about coming inside and possibly being hacked to death, right?"

He immediately shuts his eyes and cringes. Why does he always let his big mouth get the best of him?

It's silent for a few moments, and Richie figures he must've already ruined the interview.

"Shit," Eddie suddenly says blandly. "You've figured out my awesome plan. I've been destroyed."

Richie chuckles.

"No, you're good. Just wanted to know what I was getting into. What's the code?"

"1632," Eddie says kindly.

Richie puts the numbers in, and a second later, the big gate slowly opens and Richie drives in.

* * *

 

Eddie's house is simple and very cozy looking from the outside. 

Richie reaches the front door, and rings the doorbell, waiting for a few moments.

"Hello," Eddie says as he pulls the door open. "Come on in."

The first thing Richie can even notice before anything else is how  _gorgeous_ Eddie is. He's got dark brown hair with a side parted coif, and he's dressed in a white V-neck shirt and black jeans that fit his legs just right. But his face is what really puts Richie into awe. He's got big brown eyes that are doe like, and he's got light freckles scattered around his cheeks and nose. His lips are pink and shining with what looks like some kind of gloss, and Richie finds himself not being able to pull his eyes from them for a few seconds.

Richie walks in and immediately takes in the living room. The house is nice, and it's definitely just as cozy on the inside. However, the living room is in  _very_ bad shape right now. Pizza boxes litter the room in different areas, stacks of magazines and books line up in the corner. There are toys littering the floor, and multiple takeout containers are all over the kitchen counter. Richie still has to stare in amazement at how nice the room really is, despite the obvious mess. It's big and filled with very nice furniture. The windows are big and show a great view of the backyard.

"Wow," Richie says.

"Yeah, I know," Eddie replies, assuming Richie meant the mess in the living room. "It's a total mess, I know. It's not usually this bad, but I've been having to take extra hours. Lots of people getting injured after having too much fun on New Year's, you know what I mean? Oh, you probably don't care, sorry. Anyways, my last housekeeper quit a couple weeks ago, so. You haven't run off screaming yet, so that's a good sign."

Richie smiles and shrugs.

"Well, you haven't kicked me out on the curb yet so that's a pretty fucking great sign," he replies. And once again, he's risking this job opportunity by opening his stupid mouth.

Eddie just stares at him blankly.

"Oh, um. I don't have the best luck with interviews. Lots of faculty members don't really like my....humor, I guess," Richie quietly explains.

Eddie stares for a few seconds before shrugging.

"I mean, you know how to speak in front of a child right?" Eddie asks with a grin.

Richie quickly nods.

"Okay, good. And your...'humor' won't affect your work ability?"

Richie shakes his head.

"Well, than we're good," Eddie grins.

Eddie moves towards the kitchen, so Richie follows. He's just about to sit down when he suddenly hears a sound coming from somewhere behind him. He turns and is shocked to see an actual  _child_ walk into the living room from a little hallway that leads to some more rooms.

I mean, he can't be  _that_ shocked, considering he's here for a job interview that would require him to take care of a child, but still, he's shocked nonetheless. 

She's a pretty little girl, with long and wavy brown hair and small bangs that frame her face. However, her fashion choice is a whole new story. She's wearing flippers. Like, the kind you swim with. And she's wearing a bathing suit with big goggles on her eyes. However, the weirdest thing is the fact that she's holding a spatula in one hand, and a small butterfly catching net in the other.

Her steps are slow and careful, as if she practices how to walk with giant flippers on her feet daily.

"What'cha doing, Julia?" Eddie says without looking up from Richie's documents that were brought for the interview.

"I'm hunting for deep sea creatures. I'm looking for the kraken today," she says excitedly.

Richie snorts loudly and has to cover his smile behind his hand.

"Okie dokie, kiddo." Eddie says. "Just remember that whatever you find, you must toss it back. You can't keep the kraken. I doubt he's very nice," he says, playing along.

"I know!" Julia replies distractedly while heading in the same direction. She disappears into what Richie assumes is the bathroom, hearing the sound of running water a few seconds later.

"Hunting the kraken?" Richie asks with a small grin.

Eddie nods once, but doesn't look up.

"Yep," he responds. "A few weeks ago, my best friend, Bill, told her a story about the kraken to entertain her, and ever since then, she suddenly believes that the creature needs to be hunted down once and for all. It's not too terrible, though. I can at least convince her to wash her hair while she's in there. Most of the time, at least."

Eddie steps over a stack of DVD's in the middle of the floor and opens the refrigerator.

"Would you like anything to drink? We have water, and some orange juice that may have expired a month ago. I think I might also have some milk....that's on its way to looking like aging cheese," Eddie finishes as he wrinkles his nose in disgust.

"Water sounds fine to me," Richie says with a chuckle.

Eddie nods and opens a couple cabinets, slowly pulling out things that obviously shouldn't be in those cabinets. Not once does he pull out a single glass that could be used for water.

"Or no water is fine too," Richie says quietly, trying his hardest not to laugh.

"God, I'm really sorry." Eddie sighs. "I guess we should get started with this interview then, shall we?"

Richie nods.

"Sounds good, boss man."

Eddie scrunches his eyebrows together.

"Yeah, don't call me that."

Richie shrugs and nods.

"So, I should go ahead and talk about what I'm looking for," Eddie begins.

"Other than a miracle?" Richie jokes. 

He worries that Eddie might not find that joke funny.

However, Eddie just raises an eyebrow hopefully.

"Will you bring that miracle?"

Richie shrugs.

"Well, my mother used to call me her little miracle when I was little. You know, before she became a crazy alcoholic and stopped addressing me as her son. Is that close enough?"

"It's a start," Eddie simply says.

* * *

 

Eddie's form of interviewing is like none other Richie has been involved in. He seems more interested in rattling off his entire life story to Richie, rather than asking any actual interview questions.

Twenty minutes into the interview, Richie learns that Eddie used to be an extreme hypochondriac, caused by his mother's overbearing personality. He eventually overcame it when he found out that his mother had been feeding him placebos the whole time, and that he actually had no sicknesses or illnesses ever. Richie also finds out that Eddie was forced to date a girl in high school, and that they basically got married right out of high school on a whim, not because they really wanted to. Another surprising fact Richie finds out is that Eddie is  _gay,_ which makes Richie feel something he can't quite place his finger on right now. Richie  _also_ finds out that they're both twenty four years old.

"So...you had a kid with a woman, even though you're...you know, gay?" Richie asks.

Eddie shakes his head.

"I've always known I wasn't like other guys. In middle school, I realized that I never had crushes on girls. And in high school, I realized that I was crushing on  _boys._ That's when I realized that I must've been gay. But my mother would say I was sick for feeling that way. She convinced me to believe that I could be 'fixed' if I dated a girl. So I began a relationship with a girl named Myra, and next thing I know, we're married and then we had sex and had a baby. Not once did I feel anything romantic for her. I did it all, only because I thought I could satisfy my mom, and I thought that I might even be able to start liking girls or something. But anyways, our marriage quickly disintegrated and we split," Eddie explains.

"How long were you married?" Richie asks.

"Surprisingly, five years," Eddie answers. "Three years before we had Julia, and then Myra took off two years after that."

Richie winces. That must've been rough.

"I'm sorry. That must've really sucked."

Eddie gives him a grateful smile, but shrugs.

"Eh, we weren't going to last anyways. Besides, I have Julia. She's everything I could've ever wanted," Eddie explains with a soft look in his eyes.

Richie's heart lurches at the sight.

"Anyways, Myra is a decent woman. Julia knows she has a mother, but I don't think it really means much to her, considering Myra only calls to talk to her about once a week. Oh well. Enough about me. Tell me about yourself."

And that's the only direction Richie needs before he finds him rambling on and on to Eddie. He tells him about his childhood, how he didn't have many friends because he's always had a trashmouth, and how no one ever appreciated his humor, other than a few people who were still his best friends to this day. He tells Eddie how he always envisioned himself ending up in LA, becoming a famous person, his face on billboards and on every television. He sometimes envisioned himself in a band, playing guitar and singing his heart out in front of thousands of adoring fans. He tells Eddie how that dream slowly faded when he realized that he loved helping others, specifically children. Once he realized this, he went to school and got a degree in elementary education, but he's been struggling with finding a job since he received his certification.

He even starts to rant about his ex-girlfriend, who ended up cheating on him with some night club owner that Richie had seen a few times, and then promptly took off with all the money. "She was a major bitch. I mean, I guess I liked her and all, but she ended up not being so cool. Oh, by the way, I'm bisexual."

Eddie nods.

"Cool. Come on, I'll show you around," Eddie says with a smile quirking at the corner of his lips.

The house seems even bigger on the inside, and there are a lot more rooms than Richie was expecting. Finally, they reach a bedroom at the end of the hall. 

"And uh, this would be your bedroom," Eddie says as he opens the door.

It's a simple room, with one guest bed and a small sofa set up at the corner. There's a 32" television on the wall, and an empty closet. Richie nods in satisfaction.

"Nice room," he says. "I'm a pretty low maintenance dude."

"Oh, okay good," Eddie replies. "Also, when I say 'your room', that's hypothetical. You know, I just started the interviewing process. So, you know, there's the possibility that..."

"I may not get the job. Got it," Richie finishes for Eddie.

Eddie leads Richie back to the room that Julia escaped into, knocking softly on the door. "How's the kraken hunt going, Jules?"

Richie grins at the cute nickname.

"Drat," she answers. "I can't find him anywhere!"

"Need some help?" Eddie asks, twisting the doorknob and slowly walking in, Richie following close behind.

"Yes, please." Julia splashes some water around.

Julia is perched on the edge of the bathtub that could easily fit three people. She turns and moves the goggles up and off her head as she smiles at Eddie. She waves her butterfly net in the air once her eyes land on Richie.

"Stop right there!" She says seriously. 

Richie obliges, freezing and nodding at her.

"Richie Tozier, Cap'n," he says, playing along. He lowers down onto one knee, despite the water that's currently soaking the floor. His pants will dry. "I am a Kraken hunting extraordinaire. May I please join the expedition?"

"Extraordinaire?" Julia says shyly, not understanding the word.

Richie nods.

"Yep. I'm an expert at the job, Julia. I can help you out. We can catch that old creature once and for all!"

Julia stares for a few seconds with wide eyes, before she lowers the butterfly net.

"Okay," she says. "You may stay."

Richie gets off the ground and stands up straight again, towering over both Julia  _and_ Eddie.

They begin their 'hunt' and Julia spends most of the time splashing water at Richie and asking him where he learned how to hunt the kraken. She also asks him what kind of jelly he likes on his toast. Richie finds himself wanting to impress  _her_ more than he wants to impress Eddie.

Eddie leans against the sink with his arms crossed, and seems to be taking notes in his head to everything Julia is saying, probably so he can know what kind of jelly to buy for Julia the next time he goes shopping.

Richie finds himself wondering how much of this interview was actually  _proper._ He also realizes that he doesn't even  _care,_ because he enjoyed himself  _that much._

At the end of their interview, Eddie walks him to the door and promises to contact him once he's gone over Richie's references. 

Richie leaves the Kaspbrak residence, actually feeling hopeful for once.

* * *

 

The bar is loud and rowdy.

Richie sips from his beer near the back, watching the band that's up on stage playing. Two of his two best friends since elementary school slide up next to him.

"Dudes," Richie says to the two of them. "This band is ass."

Stan and Ben snort at his comment.

"They're not the best. But I'm too tipsy to know what would sound great right now," Stan says with a shrug.

"I bet I would sound great up there right now," Richie says with a smirk.

Ben laughs.

"Still going on about the life of a screaming and desperate rock singer, Rich?"

Richie shakes his head.

"Nah. Performing a gig every now and then wouldn't hurt though."

"So, Mike tells me that your time of living at the apartment is coming to an end? How's the job search going?" Stan asks.

Richie shrugs.

"Eh, not good, for the most part. There is this one thing that might turn up well for me. I'm still waiting for a call back though," he says.

His friends nod.

"But, uh....until then....Ben, you've got a pretty nice couch at that house of yours," Richie begins hopefully.

Ben gives him a look.

"If it was up to me, I'd totally let you stay, but you know how Beverly is about sharing," he says with his hands up in surrender.

"Yeah," he sighs. "I love Bev, but  _damn,_ she can be such a stingy bitch sometimes," he says jokingly, causing him to receive a punch on the arm from Ben.

* * *

 

The second call from Eddie comes exactly a week after the first and, except for the one night out at the bar with Ben and Stan, the week has been an endless loop of cartoons and ham and cheese sandwiches. Eddie sounds exhausted and he barely gets a hello in before there's a loud crash in the background.

"Julia Violet Kaspbrak, what do you mean 'oops'?" Eddie shouts. 

Richie can only imagine what must be happening.

"Anyways, I've finished your background check. Turns out you're not a criminal, so I think we're all good here. When can you start?"

"Got a place for me to sleep tonight?" Richie grins.

Eddie makes a grunting noise which Richie assumes is a 'yes'. 

"Cool. Give me a few hours and I'll be over tonight."

Over the next couple of hours, he spends his time packing his entire life into a few duffle bags and leaves a note behind for Mike and Valerie.

 _Found a job and a new place. Looks like I'm officially out of your hair. I put some handcuffs in your bedroom in case you want to get freaky. I don't want any details though. I do expect to be the uncle of your first spawn. - Richie_  


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I've got a new chapter for you all. I'm really excited to continue this story for you all. It's going to be so much fun for me to write for you guys. Thank you so much for all the feedback I've received so far. I appreciate it so much. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Happy reading! :)

Richie shows up with all of his stuff on Sunday evening. He helps Eddie clean up around the house, and ends up playing a couple rounds of Candyland with Julia. It's actually a pretty nice night, overall. It almost doesn't even feel like a job.

However, the job aspect comes crashing down on him when a stuffed teddy bear is thrown at his face on Monday morning. He freaks out for a split second when he realizes he's in a new room, a new bed, a new house. But he quickly remembers where he is, and squints his eyes at a smiling Julia. She climbs up on to the bed and plants herself down on Richie's stomach.

"Hi," she says as she pokes his cheek. "Aren't you my new nanny, now? Daddy said you are. I'm hungry. I want breakfast. You need to get up and make me oatmeal. Daddy already went to work," she announces.

"Ugh," Richie says in reply. He doesn't know what time it is, but he glances through the closed curtains at his window. The dark gray sky indicates that is is far too early for Richie to be up right now. He checks the clock on his bedside table. 5:02 AM. Fuck.

Julia giggles.

"You're silly," she says happily. "Oatmeal! With apples and raisins!" 

She climbs off of him and runs back down the hall to her room.

The first week really doesn't get any better from there.

By Thursday, Richie's knees are aching from hours of crawling around the floor to pick up crumbs and dust that the old vacuum refuses to pick up itself. His back is sore and his fingers seem like they're going to become permanently pruney from all the exposure to dishwater. He knows he's losing brain cells too, from hours and hours of breathing in cleaner fumes.

He's cut the crust off of nine peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and he's burned six pancakes. He's watched twenty episodes of Sesame Street next to Julia, and he's even had to go on four more Kraken hunts with the child. Only one of those four hunts has ended with Julia successfully washing her hair, unfortunately.

It's all so strange. He's used to sharing small spaces. His tiny house growing up, his small dorm room in college, apartments with friends and now this. However, it's odd when he's signed a contract to share a small space with two complete strangers.

He tries not to be bothered by the fact that he says about ten words per day to the extremely busy Eddie. Variations of 'I made Julia some dinner, you want some' and then, 'Okay, suit yourself,' when all he gets is a distracted shake of the head and a wave of the hand in return.

"Story time, Julia," Eddie says when he finally returns home from work every night, and that's Richie's cue that he's done for the day. Eddie will swing her into his arms and carry her to her room, while Richie usually sits back on the couch and flips through the television channels idly.

It's not a terrible job by any means, but it's only the first week, and Richie already can't wait for it to be Saturday.

* * *

 

_Richie: Hey little lady, Mike officially kicked me out of the apartment, so he can finally have sex with his new wife without worrying about me walking in on them. Don't worry though. I managed to find a job, which actually comes with a place to stay. I'll be spending the next few months being a manny to a little girl. Laugh it up. She's a sweet girl. Kind of weird, though. She thinks the Kraken lives in her bathtub. Good enough job until something better comes up, right? Her dad's kind of a piece of work, what little I've seen of him. Anyway, text me back soon. I miss you, Bev. I know you're super busy with your new job, but we need to smoke soon. I miss it._

* * *

 

_Beverly: You're a NANNY??? Hahahahahahahaha. This, I've GOT to see. When can I come over? Miss you too. Love you._

* * *

 

_Richie: Bitch. The weekend for me starts Saturday at 5. My boss is taking his kid to his mother, thank fucking god. Come over. We can watch movies on this huge television. I would tell you to bring Ben too, but I doubt he'd want to come since he still sees my face often enough. We can watch one of those terrible Sci-Fi movies. You know you'll love it!_

* * *

When Saturday finally rolls around, it's a flurry of rushing as Richie helps both Julia and Eddie pack their overnight bags. He has to make sure neither of them forget anything important. He waves them off, and just as they're about to walk out the door, Eddie pauses and turns towards Richie one more time with a teasing glint in his eyes.

"Look, I know you're off the clock and all, but could you please try to not burn the house down overnight? I'm not sure my neighbors would appreciate that smell."

Richie chuckles and smirks. He swears on his grandmother's grave that the house will still be very much intact when they return. Once the door is finally shut, he breathes a sigh of relief and sits back down on the couch, waiting for one of his closest friends to finally arrive.

* * *

 

"So, let me get this straight," Beverly says in between mouthfuls of popcorn. "You're getting paid twice the amount of money you would be if you had a regular job, you get to live in this nice house, you don't have to cut your hair or dress nicely.....and you're complaining?"

Richie sighs and ignores her for a few minutes, watching the television screen where some guy gets swallowed by a giant snake. Beverly pokes his side.

"I'm a nanny," he frowns. He hates saying it. He hates the way it sounds. Teaching was one thing....but this is something else entirely. "And a maid...and a cook."

"It's a job, Richie," she scolds. "It's not going to last forever, and right now, it's pretty fucking nice on your end. Think of how hard it is for your boss to be a single father who's a fucking  _nurse._ You're helping him out a lot more than you think."

"I know," Richie groans. "It's just..."

He doesn't even know where he wants to go with the rest of that sentence and he doesn't even know what's going on in the movie anymore.

"Whatever," Beverly says. "Pay attention to the movie. I think there's going to be a giant scorpion in a few minutes. Hey, is it okay if I stay here tonight?"

"Sure, yeah," Richie mumbles as he grabs another handful of popcorn and shoves it into his mouth.

* * *

 

One terrible thing about the massive television, is that it's completely useless when there isn't a single decent movie or show to watch. He sighs as he blindly flips through the channels, waiting for Beverly to finish in the shower. It's been an hour and a half already.

Suddenly, he hears the lock at the door sound, and seconds later, it opens. Richie turns to see Eddie at the doorway without Julia.

"I thought you weren't going to be here until this afternoon," Richie says, as he checks the clock on the wall to see that it's only 11:24 AM. "And you lost your kid?"

"Change of plans. I've been called into work. Something about a couple drunk teens being found passed out on the street last night. Apparently, they're not doing so well. Anyway, my mother wasn't ready to give Julia back yet," Eddie says.

In just that moment, the bathroom door swings open and Beverly emerges into the living room.

"That bathroom, Richie. That shower. I don't ever want to hear you complain about this job every again," Beverly says as she scrubs a towel through her hair, not noticing Richie's  _boss_ standing just a few feet away from her.

Richie wants to melt into the floor when he sees the look Eddie flashes the both of them.

"Oh!" Beverly says when she finally notices Eddie. She sticks her hand out. "Hi. You must be Eddie."

"Yeah. Looks like you're a step or two ahead of me. You are?" Eddie says. Richie doesn't like the edge in Eddie's voice, but when you really think about it, random girl who's wearing one of Richie's old flannels inside of his house. It's probably not the best sight.

"Beverly Marsh," she says brightly as she still holds her hand out towards Eddie. "Richie and I have known each other for just about forever. He was nice enough to let me sleep on the couch last night instead of sending me off at such a late hour. I'm really sorry. That's not a problem, is it?" 

There's a slight pause between the two, before Eddie finally gives Beverly a firm handshake. "No, not a problem. It's nice to meet you, Beverly."

"Likewise," she says before their hands drop. 

Eddie gives one nod to the two of them before disappearing into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. Richie says a silent prayer, thankful that Eddie didn't seem to be too upset. 

"What the fuck, Richie!" Beverly suddenly hisses.

"What?" Richie says blankly.

"You forgot to mention the part about your boss being fucking  _gorgeous!"_

"What? He's....I just...well,"

"Richie," Beverly says as she smiles and pats his shoulder. "I'm not blind. He's totally your type. And single. Just...be careful, sweetie. I know how you are when you fall for people."

"Fuck off. I'm not that much of an idiot."

"I know. I'm going to get dressed and get out of your hair. Call me if you need anything," she says with a grin.

"I won't. Bitch."

* * *

 

Eddie shoves a stack of papers across the counter one evening. 

"I need you to fill these out," he says to Richie.

"Hmm?" Richie says, busy watching Julia attempt to make a snowman out of some Play-Doh.

"Emergency contact forms for school. You're Julia's fourth contact, just in case they can't reach me, my mother, or Bill," Eddie explains as he taps the papers with a pencil.

"Sure," Richie says distractedly, finally turning to look at the papers. "Wait, what the fuck?" He says, as he sees the name of a very familiar elementary school on the top of each sheet.

"What," Eddie frowns. "Is there a problem with where I'm sending my child to school?"

Richie snaps his eyes up to meet Eddie's, and he's shocked to see that Eddie actually sees genuinely interested in his opinion.

"No, not at all. It's one of the best. It's just...well, I applied to teach there and they rejected me because they weren't a big fan of my....humor, I guess. They didn't want me."

Eddie blinks.

"Oh. Well, it's their loss. They're missing out," Eddie says and for once, they share a tender moment. And again, Richie is blown away by the sheer amount of beauty on his boss.

"Thanks," Richie says genuinely, pulling the papers from Eddie and begins reading through them. "So. Fourth contact, you said?"

"Yep," Eddie answers with a soft grin.

* * *

 

"Do I have to go to school today?" Julia whispers in Richie's ear the next morning after jumping on his stomach as usual.

Richie chuckles. 

"Yeah. School is important," he answers as he lightly tugs on a strand of her hair, causing her to giggle. "Why, are you scared?"

"No," she replies. She wraps her arms around Richie's neck. "I just don't wanna go. I want to stay home. Can I stay home with you? You're cool."

"You're pretty cool too, Jules," he answers. He's shocked at how easy it is for him to say that to her now.

"Good," Julia says. "So that means I can stay home?"

"Nope, it doesn't."

"But, why not?"

"Don't you want to be smart? School will make you smart."

"But I'm already smart!"

"Sure, you're smart for someone who's never been to Kindergarten. But, what about next year when all the other kids have already been to school for a year and they know how to add numbers already and you're still learning how to count?"

Julia lets out a frustrated noise, a noise that Richie has heard so many times come from Eddie when he comes home from a particularly hard day at work. He bites back a laugh; Julia has so much of her father in her and she doesn't even know it.

"Why don't you teach me?" Julia says. "Daddy told me that you wanted to be a teacher...and he also said that it was a....tragedy you aren't because you'd be..a really great one," she says slowly.

Richie feels his heart swell at Eddie's compliment.

"I can't be your teacher, Julia. You've gotta go to school with all the other kids. I can't be both your nanny and your teacher," he explains.

"Oh. That's dumb," she says with a frown. "But I'm glad you're my Richie."

"Me too, kiddo," Richie answers.

* * *

 

A few months later, Eddie and Richie are ecstatic to hear that Julia has been chosen to play the lead sunflower in the elementary school's first play.

In the weeks leading up to it, Eddie has been working extra hard, taking more and more hours to make sure he will have the time off to go watch the play with Richie.

Julia has been over the moon. Things are going pretty well around the house.

However, one morning, only a week before the play, Richie walks into Julia's room and is shocked to see her still in bed.

He quickly walks over.

"Up, up, up! You gotta get ready for school," Richie says as energetically as he can at six in the morning.

However, he doesn't receive an answer.

"Jules? Come on, this is the first time I'm the one waking you up in the morning. That really shows that you should be getting up right now. Come on, you don't want to be late to school!"

"Hmph," Julia says as she turns over and away from Richie.

Richie frowns.

"What's wrong?" He says as he sits on the corner of the bed.

"Don't wanna go," Julia mumbles.

"What? Why not? What's going on?"

"I'm not going today," she says.

"You're not going? So you're just going to stay in bed and turn into a lump? Guess what? I don't think lumps can perform in their school play as a beautiful sunflower. Uh oh."

Julia shrugs in reply.

"Don't have anything special," she says.

"What? What do you mean?"

She huffs.

"Today is show and tell and I don't have anything to show!"

Richie grins.

"What? You've got plenty to show. You have tons of toys and books and-"

"Nuh-uh," Julia says. "Nothing special."

Richie throws his hands up in frustration and leaves the room.

He walks to the kitchen to see Eddie attempting to pour coffee like a zombie. Richie snorts when he sees Eddie pretty much completely miss his cup, coffee spilling all over the counter.

"I'll take care of the coffee," Richie says as he grabs the pot out of Eddie's hands. "You need to help Julia pick out something for show and tell. She's whining that she doesn't have anything special."

"Oh," Eddie blinks heavily a few times. "Okay," he says before he slowly walks to Julia's room.

While fixing breakfast isn't Richie's favorite part of the day, he's definitely gotten a lot better at it. He doesn't burn anything anymore and he has even added more recipes to the mix, which both Eddie and Julia seem to appreciate and enjoy.

"Well," Eddie says from behind him. "Go on, honey. Ask him."

"Um. Richie?" Julia's voice rings out from behind him as well. "Will you, uh. Can you come to school with me for show and tell?"

"You want.....uh...me?" Richie finishes lamely as he turns with a plateful of pancakes for the three of them.

"Please?" She says. Richie can't say no to that hopeful look.

"Sure. Of course I will," he says with a grin. "Why don't you sit at the table and eat your breakfast? I need to talk to your father for a few minutes."

"Kay," she answers happily. Once she's settled in and munching away, Richie grabs Eddie's wrist and pulls him towards another room in the house.

"I'm not show and tell material, Eddie," Richie whispers. "A doll, a drawing, that's something she should take. Not me!"

"I tried to tell her that," Eddie tries to reason with desperate eyes. "She says she wants to take something that none of the other students would have."

"Oh, so am I like a trained dog?" 

"It's not like that," Eddie says, though there's laughter in his eyes. He curls his hand around Richie's elbow. Richie tries to ignore how good that makes him feel. "I asked her what something special enough for her to show off is, and she said you."

"Oh."

* * *

 

The next day, Richie receives an email.

_Dear Mr. Tozier,_

_Thank you so much for joining our class yesterday for show and tell. The class loved you. It was wonderful to finally meet and talk to you, after hearing all the great things Julia has said about you. I would like to give you an extended invitation to join our class any time you'd like. We really enjoyed your musical performance as well. You've got a great voice, and you can really play that guitar! We hope to see you again soon. Perhaps as an assistant in one of our upcoming holiday parades?_

_Sincerely,_

_Kate Wilson_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you guys think? Let me know! :)))


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Hope you all are doing well. I have a new chapter for you guys. I really hope you enjoy it! Happy reading! :)
> 
> Btw, this is the second to last chapter. I'll have one more chapter after this one, which I'll be posting in just a few days. Thanks for all the comments and kudos and hits. Means a whole lot!

"If I could whimper right now, I would."

"Richie? What are you talking about?" Stan's voice is mostly annoyed, but it still holds a sense of concern over the phone.

"I'm sorry, Stan." Richie replies. He drops his head against the couch cushion he's currently seated on. "I'm sorry for everything I've done to upset you. I'm sorry for pissing you off and I'm sorry for being such a hard ass. I take it all back. I promise. I'll never be annoying again."

Stan sighs.

"First off, it's impossible for you to  _not_ be annoying, so we can throw that out the window right now," Stan says, though he says it fondly. "Rough day at work today?"

"You have no fucking idea," Richie answers and when he hears a snicker on the other end of the phone he says, "It's not fucking funny, Stan. Stop laughing."

Richie knows he's whining. He really shouldn't be. He should be ashamed of himself...he  _would_ be ashamed of himself if it weren't for the fact that he truly believes he should be allowed to whine just for today. After hours spent chasing Julia around the place to make her do her homework and cleaning the house, all he wanted to do for the night was make some nice pasta for the three of them. Something new. So, when Eddie came home from work and offered to go to the grocery store to pick up the butter needed for the pasta, Richie finally felt like he was able to breathe a sigh of relief, because not  _everything_ had gone to shit.

Except an hour later, Eddie finally returned from the store with bags full of lotions and all kinds of items from the pharmacy department. And he had completely forgotten all about buying anything remotely close to being butter.

"Shit," Eddie had said. "I totally forgot about grabbing the butter for the pasta. Fuck, I'm so sorry. I got distracted by all the awesome deals they had with these body lotions. Look, I got three bottles for the price of one because of some coupons I had!"

And that was when Richie realized that yes, the day  _had_ in fact gone to complete shit because: 1. He didn't give a flying fuck about lotion sales, and 2. Why the fuck did Eddie need so much lotion anyway?!

"It sort of is at least a little funny," Stan says through a couple more chuckles.

"Wow. Thanks, Stan. You're a terrible friend. Please make this better." Everything hurts right now. And Richie doesn't even know why. All he knows right now is he's so fucking tired.

"Have you put that sweet little darling to bed yet?" Stan asks innocently.

"No, I have not. I've put Satan's spawn to bed, that's who. I have no idea what happened to that sweet little darling, because she sure as hell didn't exist today. Can you make her come back to me? That'd be great."

"Look," Stan sighs. "I'm sure it wasn't  _that_ bad. And even if it was, everything will feel much better after a good night's sleep. Julia will be right back to her adorable self in the morning. But you're off the clock now, right?"

"Yeah," Richie replies weakly.

"Alright. Listen to one of your best friends carefully. Take a damn bubble bath. If your body is hurting so bad, fill the bathtub up with warm water, throw some bubbles in there, and then lay down for a while. It'll make you feel so much better, I  _swear."_

Richie wants to laugh. A bubble bath? He hasn't taken one since he was about nine or ten.

"A bubble bath," Richie deadpans.

"Don't use that tone with me. I've survived dealing with you all these years, I think I can tell what would make you feel better by now," Stan says. "Bubble bath and soft piano music. Now."

"But, Stan-"

"Bye."

Before Richie can even open his mouth to respond, he hears a soft click and then the dull dial tone.

* * *

 

Richie feels a little silly as he sits in the bathtub. Just a little bit, though. But  _fuck,_ was Stan right. He already feels a thousand times more relaxed and he's only just sunk down into the water. There's a candle light flickering, vanilla scented, sitting on the counter. He has no idea why Eddie has those. Well, by this point, he's actually  _not_ that shocked. But right now, he's grateful for the candle because it reminds him of his childhood, back when his mother would actually hug him and he could always smell her vanilla scented lotion on her skin. The jets from the bathtub on his back right now feel too amazing.....like  _unnecessarily_ amazing.

It has been way too long since he's been able to take more than a ten minute shower, stumbling around so that's he's awake enough to make breakfast for everyone. This is quite the experience he's having right now. The only thing that would feel even better right now is someone else's skin against his...someone like Edd-

_Shit. Stop yourself right there. You cannot think about your boss like this. Not now. Not ever._

He can barely remember the last time he's gone out. Maybe the third or fourth week? He remembers he went to a nightclub, sweaty bodies all around him. He didn't bring anyone home with him, though. He wasn't allowed to. However, the urge to hook up with someone is slowly losing its temptation due to how tired he's become from a solid eight hours a day of chasing around a child. 

But tonight, he wishes he has the energy. To go out, and just have fun. Be a little irresponsible. To be a little out of control. Anything.

"Shit, shit. Sorry! I'm sorry," Eddie's voice is loud, bouncing off every wall in the room and honestly, Richie should be startled but he's just too  _relaxed._ "I....thought you were in your room, uh. Your door was closed.....I thought you went to sleep."

"Hmm," Richie mumbles with his eyes closed, rolling his head to the side and finally blinking his eyes open. Eddie is standing in the doorway holding a couple items for the shower that he must've been about to take. He doesn't have a shirt on. Richie can see his tanned, bare chest. It looks so clear and soft, the candle light somehow illuminating it in the dim room. Richie can't take his eyes away. "Oh. No. I'm not asleep. I'm taking a bath. Feels good."

"Right," Eddie replies weakly. "Right, I can see that." Eddie is clearly staring. Even in the dim room, Richie can feel Eddie's eyes on him. "I'm um. I'm going to go. Wait. Wait for you to be..done."

"Okay," Richie simply replies, cupping some water in his hands and letting it spill onto the top of his curls.

"Okay," Eddie says. Richie can hear his audible gulp.

"Bye," Richie mumbles. God, he's so fucking tired. His body is limp and nothing but puddled heat. He knows there's something about this moment between the two of them that should feel wrong, but he doesn't feel it. 

He slips a little further into the water as Eddie finally stumbles out of the bathroom, the door clicking shut behind him. The only thing that feels wrong about the entire situation is that Richie is alone again.

* * *

 

"Listen, Richie. About last night..I just wanted to say that I'm sorry-" Eddie begins to say the next morning as he takes a bite of the scrambled eggs Richie made for him.

"Look, don't even worry about it. It's not a big deal," Richie shrugs. "I should've locked the door."

"I guess so," Eddie frowns. "But, still...."

"Hey, Julia!" Richie shouts. "I'm about to pack your lunchbox. Do you want ham or turkey on your sandwich today?"

"Right," Eddie mutters. "So, we're just going to forget about it," he states with a hint of bitterness.

But Richie simply begins making Julia's ham and cheese sandwich.

He can't let himself start.... _feeling_ for Eddie. In any other circumstance, he would love to because Eddie is  _perfect._  He's sweet, caring, funny, hardworking, and an amazing father. Not to mention the fact that he's probably the most beautiful person Richie has ever laid his eyes on.But in this situation, it can't happen.  _They_ can't happen.

* * *

 

It's the second Saturday of the fourth month into the job and it's a day off technically, but Richie doesn't even think to question it when he gets up early and begins making breakfast for everyone. Eddie stumbles out of his room within seconds of his coffee finishing. Richie is still wondering how he manages to do that so perfectly every morning.

"Morning," Eddie mumbles, voice heavy with sleep. He reaches around Richie to grab a wedge of apple off the cutting board. "Any plans for today?"

Richie grabs a mug and hands it to Eddie, who smiles gratefully and moves away to pour his first cup of coffee for the day. Richie frowns, already missing the close body contact. "Yeah, actually, I-"

"Richie! I can't find my green shoes! I need them! I can't be a pretty sunflower without them," Julia calls from her bedroom.

"They're already in the bathroom with your tights and leotard," Richie calls back. 

Richie hears her quick feet running to the bathroom to make sure they're in there. "Leave them in there, Julia. You don't want to lose them. Your special performance is tonight!"

"That's tonight?" Eddie suddenly asks, as he holds a spoonful of sugar over his steaming mug of coffee. Richie can already feel the terror settling in his chest.

"Yes. Saturday the tenth," Richie says slowly and carefully. "It's been on your calendar for a month now. Not to mention that I've been reminding you time after time now."

Eddie is silent. 

"Please don't tell me you forgot," Richie says.

"Fuck," Eddie says as he sets his mug down on the counter. "Richie. I can't. I've got a meeting with my boss tonight. It's urgent."

"So? Call and cancel," Richie simply replies. He's trying to sound casual about this, but he knows it's not casual at all.

"It's an important meeting, Richie. I can't cancel," Eddie shakes his head. He at least looks ashamed of himself, but apparently, ashamed isn't enough. "You'll explain it to her, right?"

"Oh, no. Hell no," Richie immediately responds, backing up from the counter. "Nope. No can do. There's no money in the world you could pay me to break her heart like this. This one's all on you. You're the father."

"But she'll understand," Eddie insists, though he doesn't sound like he even believes that himself. "She knows my work is...is-"

"More important than her?" Richie asks with a raised eyebrow. He knows he's pushing it. Eddie is his boss who could easily fire him in a second if he wanted to. He has no standing here.

"That wasn't what I was going to say," Eddie says as he looks away, his face flushing. Richie almost feels bad for him.  _Almost._

"It doesn't matter what you were going to say. Because that's what she's going to hear no matter what. That she isn't as important to you as your work is."

"She's my  _daughter,"_ Eddie says, as if it's a good excuse.

"Yeah, you're right," Richie says, and he notices Eddie's jaw clench. "She is your daughter. So you better think of a good explanation as to why you're not going to be there for her tonight."

Eddie nods, short and jerky before he clears his throat. "Julia? Julia, can you come here for a minute?"

"In a minute," Julia's excited voice answers. 

"Julia?" Eddie repeats. 

Richie can see how terrified Eddie is. He almost wants to do the dirty work himself, but he knows this is something that Eddie must do.

"One second!" Julia says.

"Julia," Richie says for Eddie.

Julia seems to finally understand the seriousness of the situation because just a few seconds later, she's carefully walking into the kitchen, stopping in between the two men.

"Julia," Eddie begins and Richie walks away. This isn't a conversation he needs to hear. It's not really his business. He'll just have to be there to wipe Julia's tear stained face after her own father explains why he won't be there for her performance that night.

He does however, sit down in the hallway to eavesdrop. He knows he shouldn't. But he can't help it. He can hear Eddie's calm, reasonable tone with the little girl. However, just a few seconds later, Richie can tell that their talk didn't go so well.

"No!" Julia's shrill voice is loud. She's already on the edge of tears.

"I'm so sorry, Julia," Eddie says. "But it's okay. Richie will take the camera to record it and then tonight, we'll watch it on the big television together. It'll be like you really are a movie star! How's that sound?"

Richie sighs and shakes his head. 

"I hate you," Julia yells. "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you!"

Richie bites his lip and forces himself to stay seated.

"Julia, I love you so much," Eddie says. Richie notices something wrong with his voice. Then he realizes it. Eddie is trying to hold back tears. Richie wonders if this is the first time Eddie has ever heard the little girl say those words to him.

"No, you don't! You don't love me at all. I hate you and I wish you weren't my dad," Julia screams through her sobs. "I wish Richie was my dad. He's nice to me and he loves me. He loves me way more than you do."

"Being nice to you is Richie's  _job._ I pay him lots of money to take care of you. He doesn't love you," Eddie says. His voice is hard and quiet. He possibly just said the most hateful and hurtful thing he could ever say, and he's saying it to his own daughter. Richie feels like he's been punched in the gut. He feels empty and cold.

"Son of a bitch," Richie mutters to himself as he finally makes himself stand up.

A door slams, Julia's most likely, and a few seconds later, there's a shattering in the kitchen followed by a loud curse by Eddie. Richie walks back into the kitchen to see Eddie kneeling on the ground, picking up shards of his broken mug, coffee all over the floor.

"Asshole," Richie says as he stands above Eddie. He's so angry at him right now, but he can see Eddie's hands shaking as he picks up the glass, his thumb already bleeding a little bit. Richie takes a breath. "What the hell was that?"

Eddie shakes his head and moves his eyes to stare only at Richie's shoes. "I'm sorry, Richie. I didn't mean to say that about you. She just...it just came out. She was saying all that stuff and she..she meant all of it. She's never said anything like that to me before. Not once."

"Well, she's also a five year old girl, who is hurt and disappointed by her father. What's your excuse for saying something like that to her? Fuck, you  _pay_ me to take care of her? What the fuck?"

He grabs the trash can and drags it next to Eddie, before he sits himself down across from the him. 

"I know," Eddie says quietly while frowning. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought your job into the conversation. I know you really care about her. That wasn't right. I was...jealous."

"Jealous?"

Eddie nods.

"You've been here four months and she's...I think you know her better than I do sometimes. And last week, during the thunderstorm, I heard you comforting her. She went to you before she came to me."

"I'm like a new toy for her. Show and tell material, remember? I'm not her father, and I know that no matter what she said, you're the only father she could ever want. She's such a good kid. She loves you so fucking much. You should hear the way she talks about you. She talks about you like you're made of solid gold. She just wants you to...she-"

"I know," Eddie swallows. "I fucked up. I just don't know how to fix it."

"For starters? You call your boss and cancel that meeting."

Eddie opens his mouth but Richie cuts him off again.

"Look, I know I'm just hired help, but I feel like I need to put my foot down here. You have to be there for this. I just....you  _have_ to."

Richie waits for Eddie to argue again, but it doesn't come.

"You're not just hired help," Eddie finally says quietly.

Richie's heart lurches at the statement but he ignores it.

"Um. Not the point. You need to call your boss. I guess I'll go sit outside Julia's room and wait until she finally surrenders and lets me in."

"It's your day off today," Eddie says. He pushes himself to his feet and holds out a hand to Richie. "You don't have to do all of this."

"Yeah, I know. I don't, but I still am," Richie says as he takes Eddie's hand and allows himself to be pulled up.

"Thank you," Eddie says earnestly, staring Richie right in the eyes. 

Richie gives one small nod before pulling his hand out of Eddie's grasp and walking to Julia's room.

He knocks three times. 

"Hey, Julia? Can I come in?"

"No. Go away," Julia says, her voice trembly.

"I can't do that, Jules. I'm going to sit right here outside of your room, and when you're ready to talk, I'll be here when you open the door."

He slides down on to the floor, his back against the little girl's bedroom door.

* * *

 

He's still sitting there an hour later, his ass numb from the wooden floor and his voice hoarse from talking and telling jokes to fill the silence. Eddie slides down to sit next to him and presses a glass of water at him. They pass the water back and forth, both taking small sips, and Richie tries to ignore the fact that he's intentionally pressing his mouth against the same place on the glass as Eddie.

"My boss yelled at me for a good half hour," Eddie finally says. "But agreed to reschedule the meeting."

"Oh?" Richie says as he leans his head against the door.

"I'm an idiot sometimes. I just...I get so caught up in work. All I want to do is be able to handle being a great father. I try to work and work and work to earn the money that will take care of the both of us. But sometimes, I work so much that I start to forget the one person I'm doing this all for. My own daughter."

"You're not a bad father," Richie says.

He finally turns to stare at Eddie. 

Eddie has his head pressed back on the wall, his eyes closed. Richie is able to see the wear around his eyes. He realizes that he's never truly seen just how afraid Eddie really is. Underneath the hardworking nurse, is a terrified father who wants the best for his child.

"Come on," Richie says softly as he stands up. "We're going in. Together."

He stands and pulls Eddie to his feet, before he knocks on the door and slowly opens it. Julia is curled up in her bed, her back facing them. She's still and quiet, save for her sniffles every few seconds.

Richie stands back and lets Eddie go in front of him. He watches as Eddie sits on the edge of the bed and puts a hand on Julia's wavy hair, lightly brushing his fingers through the strands. 

It's faster than a blink. Julia shoots up in bed and turns to Eddie, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him hard. She buries her face in his neck. Richie wonders if he should leave and let the two of them have a moment on their own.

"Shhhh," Eddie murmurs quietly, hugging her back just as hard.

"Please, Daddy. I'm sorry. Please don't hate me. I love you. Please come see me be the sunflower tonight. I love you, I'm sorry," Julia cries into his neck.

"Oh, Jules. No, sweetheart. I could never hate you. Never," Eddie says fiercely. "I'm gonna be there tonight. I'm gonna be sitting right there in the front row. You're going to be the best sunflower up there and I can't wait to see it."

"Promise?"

"I promise. I promise to be there tonight and every other night that's special to you," Eddie says. 

Richie begins to slowly back out of the room, wanting to give them some space, but Julia snaps her eyes to his over her father's shoulder.

"Hi, Jules," Richie says, receiving a timid wave in return. "Okay if I talk to you?"

Julia gives a shrug of her shoulders and hides her face in Eddie's shoulder. Eddie whispers something in her ear, so soft that Richie can't hear. Finally, Julia nods her head.

"Okay," she says. Richie steps forward and the little girl blinks up at him. "Am I your job?"

"Julia-" Eddie begins but Richie cuts him off.

"I've got this," he says to Eddie who gives him a slow nod. He sits on the edge of the bed next to Eddie. "Yes, you are my job."

Julia's face falls. "Oh," she says quietly.

"Hey, I haven't finished," Richie continues with a grin. "Yes, I was hired to take care of you. And to cook for you, to clean for you, to help you pick out your clothes for school, and to make sure you're safe when your father isn't here. That's part of my job. But you know what? Loving you is just a bonus. I'd hang out with you for free."

Richie is shocked at how much he means everything he just said.

Julia flings herself at him next, and it kind of hurts because her elbow jabs him in the rib, but he doesn't even care because right now, he's got an armful of an awesome little girl and he's got Eddie giving him a soft smile as he watches the sight.

* * *

 

"You didn't have to do all that this morning, you know?" Eddie says when he and Richie claim their seats in the front row of the school's auditorium that night. They're weighed down with flowers and stuffed animals to present to Julia when the performance is over.

"Well, I did anyway," Richie replies with a grin. He tosses his jacket over the back of his chair. "I wasn't bullshitting either. I meant all of it. I said it because I meant it. She's a great kid. I'd have to be an idiot to not love her at least a little bit."

"None of the others-"

"But that's why you hired me, right? Because I wasn't like any of the others?"

Eddie stares at him for a few moments before he nods.

"Right. Yes, that's right. I just wasn't expecting you to be so amazi-"

The lights dim and the principal of the school clears his throat before he begins the introduction, so Eddie closes his mouth and the two men sit back and pay attention the the middle aged man up on the stage.

Halfway through the performance, Eddie's fingers lace together with Richie's. 

Richie tries to convince himself that Eddie probably doesn't mean anything by it. He's probably just nervous and overwhelmed. However, that doesn't stop Richie from leaning over and whispering in Eddie's ear, "That's your daughter up there. Doesn't this beat any business meeting to hell?"

"Yeah," Eddie breathes. "Yeah," he repeats and Richie knows he means it.

They're still holding hands as Julia takes a bow and grins at the two of them brightly, waving her hand wildly.

* * *

_Richie: Hey, redhead. Remember when you told me to be careful with Eddie? Because you know how I get when I fall for people? Well....Please don't say you told me so._

* * *

 

_Beverly: I told you so. Just....don't do anything too crazy._

* * *

 

_Richie: HA. A little late for that._

* * *

"Late! Late, late. Fuck, I'm so late. I'm sorry. Sorry. I'll give you your check when I get home, Richie," Eddie says as he rushes around the house, looking disheveled as fuck.

"Eddie. Eddie! Eds!" Richie grabs him by the shoulders. "You've gotta calm down."

"Daddy's gone nutty," Julia says through giggles as she munches on cheerios. 

"I'm  _late,"_ Eddie repeats, pulling out of Richie's grip and moving to shuffle through a stack of papers on the counter. "I'm late and I can't find my damn keys. I'm so fucking sick and tired of the fucking - oh for christ's sake, Julia cover your ears! I'm so fucking sick and tired of these early morning shifts. My damn manager can't get one more fucking employee who can manage a morning shift a couple times a goddamned week? Why am I the only one he ever fucking relies on? He's got hundreds of workers under his fucking name!"

"Julia," Richie says loudly. "Go play in your room for a few minutes. Let me see if I can make your father un-nutty."

Julia giggles and hops off her chair, happily skipping to her room.

"Eddie. Stop. Breathe," Richie says as soon as Julia is out of earshot. "Didn't you toss your keys in your bedroom last night because you were too tired to hang them up?"

"Oh," Eddie blinks. He jogs to his bedroom and moments later, re-emerges with his keys in his hand. "I hate this shit, Richie."

"Yeah, I know," Richie says softly. "But you like your house, right?"

Without even realizing it, Richie steps forward and messes with a few strands of Eddie's hair, putting certain strands into the places he's seen Eddie put himself so many times. Eddie makes no move to stop him, letting Richie smooth his hair as well as straighten his coat out a bit. "But at least you've got a great family here waiting for you every night," Richie says with a soft smile.

He immediately mentally smacks himself in the face because he meant for that to come out way differently, but it sounded so fucking romantic and he knows he can't take it back now. He just implied that he thinks of himself as a.... _husband._

Eddie stares at him with a tender look on his face.

"Richie-"

"You're late, remember?"

"Right," Eddie huffs. He grabs his bag from the couch. "Right, do I look okay?"

Richie tilts his head. "Come here," he says.

Eddie slides up right in front of him again. 

Richie knows that Eddie looks  _perfect_ now. But he can't help but pick at imaginary pieces of fluff from his coat and push a couple of stray hairs back.

"Richie? I'm late, remember?" Eddie says, though there's something in his voice. Almost like he doesn't really care if he's late anymore.

"Right. You're good to go," Richie says, grinning. "Now, go be the best fucking Nurse that hospital will ever have, you stud."

Eddie's laugh is bright and real, full of joy. He takes Richie's hands off his shoulders and laces their fingers together, squeezing Richie's hands gently. Richie can't help himself. But he finds himself suddenly surging forward to press a quick kiss against Eddie's lips. It was just a peck, really. It was meant to just go along with their playful banter, but Richie knows that it really wasn't. He can tell that Eddie knows it wasn't a joke either.

"Richie," he says softly.

"You're late," Richie presses a hand to Eddie's chest and gives him a playful shove.

Eddie gives a shaky nod and swallows before he finally turns around and leaves.

Richie watches him the entire time, wondering what the hell he just got himself into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? Let me know! :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is it! This is it, folks! The last chapter has arrived. Thank you to everyone who has read and commented on this story. I appreciate it so much, and I hope you've enjoyed this journey with me! I love you guys! Thank you! :)

"Miiiiiiiiike Hanlooooooooon."

It's a few days after Richie kissed Eddie, and he is  _drunk._ Like, out of his mind kind of drunk. He hasn't been drunk for a while, considering he's not allowed to drink around Julia. He's not really allowed to  _live_ at that place. So he decided to go to the bar with Ben and Stan and have way too much to drink. But, it's okay. Because he's young, and it's Friday night, meaning he has the day off tomorrow so he can get drunk and have a little fun without worrying too much.

"Mike Hanlon, this is...this is  _your_ fault!"

Mike isn't even drunk. Well, maybe he is. But currently, he's not even at the same destination Richie is at, so there's no way to be sure. Because right now, he's at Beverly and Ben's apartment, on their large couch in the living room, being nursed by Beverly herself.

He's at their apartment because it was Beverly who decided to come pick him up from the bar when she realized he was too drunk to even attempt to drive back to Eddie's. He had called her, slurring and giggling, and the first thing Beverly had said was, "Wait outside the front of the bar. You're too drunk to drive. I'm coming to get you."

So now, here they were. Lounging on the couch as Richie frustratingly called out Mike, even though he wasn't even there with them. 

"Remind me to tell Mike that kids are a bad decision. They are crazy," Richie slurs. "Remind me to tell Stan and Ben, too. They're too crazy. I'll let them get a day with Julia if they don't believe me. Then they'll learn their lesson. Kids make you do crazy things.....like make you kiss their fathers...and then wish you could keep kissing them for the rest of your life."

"Uh huh," Beverly says absentmindedly. She was listening, or at least she  _had_ been listening. Well, she was listening the first ten times Richie kept repeating his story of the night. How he left Eddie's the second he returned home from work, even though Eddie repeatedly kept asking him if they could  _talk._ And Richie knew what his supposed "talk" would mean. He would want to tell Richie that he doesn't think of him in that way and that Richie should stop working for him. 

Richie doesn't think he can handle that.

"Why can't I just be in love with you? I used to think you were kind of hot," Richie whines.

Beverly snickers.

"Because I'm in love with Ben and because you're totally falling for Eddie. Which isn't that bad, now that I think about it. You two are great for each other. You make a great couple, too. Also, you were like,  _twelve_ when you used to try to hit on me. At that time, you hadn't seen a pair of tits  _or_ a dick in your entire life. You didn't know what you were talking about back then."

"Hmm. Dick. I think I like dick a lot. I think I'd like Eddie's dick. Shhh. Don't tell him I told you that, though. It could get me fired," he giggles.

"You're so drunk," Beverly states with a chuckle.

"Yes, I am," Richie nods. "And I'm fucked. I don't know what to do," he groans.

"Well, sleep on it and we'll talk about it in the morning," Beverly says as she stands up and makes him lay down.

She puts a pillow under his head and covers him with a thick, warm blanket.

"But I won't be drunk in the morning. I can't say what I truly feel. I can't say that I love him. And Jules. Love them both," he mumbles as he starts to fall asleep.

"Go to sleep," Beverly whispers as she gently strokes his curls.

"Okay," he whispers sleepily before he blacks out for the night.

* * *

 

"So," Beverly states the next morning.

She's rubbing her hand through Richie's curls as he sits, curled up on the bathroom floor. It's been five minutes since he's last puked, and he doesn't want to leave the bathroom just yet, in case his body decides to let out even more bile from the night before.

"Are you going to look for a new job?" Beverly asks.

"Hmph," Richie responds.

"Richie."

"Christ, Bev," Richie groans as he presses the heels of his hands into his eyes. "Not now."

"You can't keep doing this to yourself. You need a new job."

"But you said I had a good job. You said to never complain about it again. I promised I wouldn't complain anymore, didn't I? I'm keeping that promise."

"Yeah, but that was different. That was back when you didn't.....oh, Richie. Do you have a plan?" Beverly finishes sympathetically.

"I don't know. Stay. Keep doing what I'm doing. They need me. I can't just....no, I need to stay." he mumbles as he downs some more water, praying he won't throw it back up.

"For how long?"

"Kids need nannies until they're..what, twelve, fourteen? Something like that? Maybe I'll have things figured out by then."

Beverly sighs.

"Oh, honey," she whispers sadly.

And Richie figures out in that second that he really, really hates those words.

* * *

 

"I'm really sorry about earlier....you know, coming back here with a crazy hangover in front of Julia," Richie explains from his place on the couch.

His head still throbs a bit, because  _damn,_ he really outdid himself the last night at the bar.

Though he's sprawled out on his back with his head propped up on the arm of the couch, Eddie is seated on the other end of the couch, allowing Richie to rest his legs across his lap.

Eddie doesn't seem to mind the weight of Richie's legs on his own. He's got a home decor magazine resting on top of Richie's legs, blindly flipping through, making small impressed noises at some points.

"What? You don't have to apologize," Eddie responds as he squints down to look at a certain counter. He shakes his head. "God, I'm able to work in an industry that can save people's lives, but when it comes to any type of art or decoration, I'm complete  _shit._ I mean, my house is just so plain. And I don't even know how to make it look  _not_ plain. All thanks to my mother. This is exactly how my childhood house was, too. No taste at all. Ugh. Surely I can learn how to lighten things up a bit around here, don't you think?" Eddie's hopeful eyes land on Richie's.

"I'd imagine so," Richie responds with a lazy grin. Eddie hums in response.

He's honestly been waiting to be reprimanded ever since he arrived that afternoon, but so far, Eddie's actually been a spectacular nurse, bringing him water and aspirin, along with some warm soup. Eddie even had to tell Julia to go to her room while he took care of a 'sick' Richie.

"Seriously, it won't happen again," Richie says seriously.

Eddie looks up at him, blinks, and then nods once. "Oh," he says. "Okay."

"Okay," Richie repeats. He honestly wasn't expecting it to be that easy, but he's entirely grateful, because the last thing his throbbing headache needs right now is a long lecture from Eddie.

"So, how's Beverly?" Eddie suddenly asks as he grabs the remote control and blindly flips through the channels on the television.

"She's fine. She's uh. She's good," Richie responds. He feels tired, but Eddie has a hand resting on his ankle now, and it's a little distracting. 

"That's good," Eddie yawns. He sounds just as tired as Richie feels. "You know, if you'd like to visit her more. You know, spend more time with her, I'm sure we could work something out. Give you an extra day off. Something like that."

"Nah," Richie responds. "Don't need her and her practical  _husband_ to think I'm trying to shove my way into their lives."

"Oh. Husband. So, she's married. Right," Eddie states.

Richie nods and closes his eyes, missing the small glimmer of hope in Eddie's eyes.

* * *

 

A few hours later, when Julia is finally asleep, Richie lounges on the couch and watches television. 

Eddie strolls into the living room, looking a bit worried.

"What's wrong? Everything okay?" Richie immediately mutes the TV.

Eddie nods quickly.

"Yeah, yeah. We're good. I lost my wallet. I know I had it when we were sitting here earlier. I think it might've fallen out of my pocket."

Richie stands up and begins moving the cushions around, searching around for the lost wallet.

"Oh, I see it!" Eddie says, before he gets down onto his hands and knees and reaches under the couch.

When he comes back up, he sneezes. Then sneezes again. And again.

"Damn, it's dusty down there. When was the last time you cleaned under there, slacker?" Eddie asks, though there's a teasing glint in his eyes.

"I may have been slacking a little bit," Richie responds with a grin. "Sorry about that."

Eddie shakes his head with a soft smile, causing a few dust particles to fly off his head. Richie has to bite back a smile at how cute he looks.

"God, I guess I must be  _really_ be slacking. Look at you," Richie says as he reaches forward to lightly scuff his hand through Eddie's hair.

"No," Eddie suddenly says, all sense of humor and teasing disappearing completely. "No, you've....been amazing. You're amazing."

Richie feels his own face heat up, so he clears his throat and runs a hand through his curls.

"Well, that's what I keep telling everybody," he responds to Eddie. "Anyway, I guess I'll go ahead and clean up for a bit."

"Richie." Eddie's fingers are on his wrist, lightly touching but not holding. But it's enough to make Richie freeze. "Thank you. For everything."

"Just doing my job."

"Richie," Eddie whispers as his hand slides across Richie's palm, before carding their fingers together gently. Richie is trying his hardest to focus on just his breathing.

"You're welcome," Richie says before he slides his hand out of Eddie's and shoves his both of his hands into his pockets.

He mentally congratulates himself for being able to keep his voice steady.

* * *

The next morning, Richie wakes up to his cell phone ringing.

"What?" He says in the receiver. 

"Good news," Beverly responds. "Ben and I are having a child."

Richie shoots up in bed.

" _What?_ What the fuck? You - you're pregnant? When did you find out and why the fuck didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Relax, bitch," Beverly laughs. "I just found out about an hour ago. You're the first one I'm telling. Well, after Ben, of course."

Richie breathes a sigh of relief.

"Wow. Shit. Oh my god. Bev, I - Jesus, congratulations!"

"Thanks," Beverly replies, and Richie can tell she's getting emotional. "Um, other than me calling to let you know I'm now expecting, I was actually calling for a favor too."

"Sure. Anything."

"Would you uh -" Beverly sounds nervous. "Would you be the godfather, Richie? There's no one else Ben and I would want."

Richie feels tears prick at the corner of his eyes. He shakily inhales.

"Yes.  _Hell_ yes."

"Really? Oh, Richie!" Beverly sounds excited now.

"Shall we celebrate tonight? Drinks on me?"

* * *

 

"It's late," Eddie's voice startles Richie as he returns to the house around 1 AM. Richie can barely make out the dim outline of Eddie's body, sitting quiet and straight on the couch. The room is practically pitch black.

"Jesus, Eddie. You scared me," Richie responds, though he still has a grin on his face. He's so just  _happy._ He's going to be a godfather. "Hey, guess what? Beverly and Ben are having a baby and they asked me to be the godfather. We went out to celebrate tonight."

"Congratulations," Eddie says dryly. "But next time you're going to be out so late, call. Julia was worried sick. It took me three hours to put her to sleep because she kept asking me where you were. I had no idea what to tell her."

"What?" Richie laughs. "You've got to be kidding me." Even in the dark, Richie can see Eddie's shoulders raise, and his fists clench. "I was off the clock, so I went out to have a celebration with my friends. I don't have to report to you. After seven thirty, I can live, you know?"

"Right," Eddie scoffs. "Sorry, I must've forgotten. You're only here for the money."

Richie has words ready at the tip of his tongue.  _Angry_ words. But he knows they can't argue right now. Not at this time, and not like this.

"You know what," he says instead. "You were right. It is late. I had a good night, and I'm not about to fuck that up. This isn't a conversation I can have at one in the morning."

Eddie makes a noise. It's not a laugh, though. Richie doesn't even know what to call it. But he doesn't like the sound of it.

"You're not. This isn't. You're just." Eddie's words aren't going anywhere. He keeps starting and then stopping to begin a new path, only to stop again. But Richie can see the danger signs. He can see how on edge Eddie is right now.

"Can we please just let it go until the morning? You can yell at me all you want when we wake up, but right now I just want to sleep."

"I'm sorry," Eddie immediately responds. "But I don't think you should work for me anymore."

"Wow," Richie says, frozen to the spot. "I. Wow. Okay."

"I'm so sorry," Eddie says as he stumble-steps towards Richie. "This isn't - This isn't how things were supposed to turn out. I never meant to -"

"No." Richie is still rooted to the same spot. He knew this would be coming, he just didn't think it would be so soon. "That's your decision to make."

"Richie, please. It's not.."

"Well, I should pack." Richie pushes past Eddie and rushes into his bedroom, turning the light on and glaring against the harsh brightness.

"You don't have to do this, Richie," Eddie says from the doorway. Richie doesn't turn. He can't look at him right now. So he continues stuffing clothes into his duffle bag.

"Uh, yeah, I actually do. You just fired me. So, I don't live here anymore, isn't that right?"

"No. Richie," Eddie steps in and clamps a hand down on his shoulder. "You do live here. This is your home. I'm not kicking you out on the street."

"Well, how kind of you," Richie spits sarcastically. "But I don't need your charity."

Eddie sighs.

"I mean, if you want to leave...."

Richie lets out a sharp laugh.

"What I want...doesn't matter now, does it?"

"So, I guess this means you really don't care about Julia?"

Eddie's voice is ice cold and Richie's heart stops. His blood boils. He quickly turns and shoves Eddie, who seemed to know it was coming because he's able to stumble for only a few seconds before he catches himself.

"Bastard," Richie spits, this time with a crack in his voice. "You fucking bastard."

He grabs his things, which isn't that much, and shoves past Eddie, who simply lets him go.

He pretends like he doesn't hear Eddie say, "I'm sorry" one more time before Richie exits the bedroom.

But something he definitely noticed was that Eddie was already in the midst of crying when he said it.

However, Richie sucks it up and opens the front door, turning to look at the main living room one more time. The room he's spent so much time in the past several months, before he turns around and shuts the door behind him.

* * *

 

"Somebody better be dead if you're waking me up at this time," Stan says as soon as he opens the door.

"Stan, it's fucking freezing out here. Let me in."

"Jesus, it's three in the morning," Stan says as he opens the door wider to let Richie in. 

Once they're inside, Stan immediately steers Richie towards the couch and pushes him down on it. He disappears into the kitchen for a few moments before returning with two mugs of steaming hot chocolate.

He hands a mug to Richie, who takes it gratefully, mostly using it to warm his hands.

"Explain." Stan demands.

Richie sighs.

"Oh, you know," Richie says. "Got fired, shoved my boss.....after I was fired. Just the usual," Richie weakly jokes.

"I'm going to assume you shoved the father, not that poor child."

"Ha ha. Very funny, Uris. You're a riot. I can stay here tonight, right?"

"Two days. Two days is what I can promise."

"Just tonight is fine," Richie says he already begins to settle himself down on the couch. "I've got somewhere else to go....just not tonight."

* * *

 

Three days later, Richie is back in his parents' house. They weren't exactly too happy to have him back, but they allowed it. 

"Just for a while," they had said.

And now, here was Richie, back in the shitty place he unfortunately had to grow up in.

Currently, he's in his bedroom on his laptop, doing a job search. 

"Your mom says to come down for breakfast," Beverly says softly from the doorway.

Richie shakes his head.

"Can't. Trying to find a job."

"Yeah. But you also gotta take a shower. You smell like shit," she says as she leans over his shoulder to peer down at his laptop screen.

"Whatever," Richie says as he lightly shoves her away, but she leans right back in. She hooks her chin over his shoulder and stares at the screen.

"Doesn't look like a job posting to me," she mumbles as she looks at the latest email Richie had just received.

_From: EKaspbrak210@gmaii.com_

_To: RichTozierrr@gmail.com_

_Subject: Please Read_

_Please stop ignoring my calls and texts. We really need to talk. Julia is barely speaking to me. I don't blame her. I really screwed things up. I'm an asshole._

"He won't take the hint," Richie says as he deletes the eleventh or twelfth email from Eddie in the past four days. It's another low blow, bringing Julia into the situation again.

"You're gonna have to talk to him at some point," Beverly reasons. "Besides, you still have to get the rest of your stuff back."

"Yeah, about that," Richie smiles up at her. "Do you think you could..."

"Nope," Beverly shakes her head. "No. When you break up with someone, you have to do it right."

"Jesus, Bev. I got fired, not dumped." Though, Richie is shocked to realize how similar the two things feel to him right now.

"I'll see what I can do about getting your stuff," Beverly finally says.

* * *

 

"I said I'll come down for lunch in a little bit, mom," Richie snaps at the knock on his door. He's leaning down in the middle of his room, searching for a decent T shirt to put on. He's only in his boxers, his body still damp from the shower. His boxers cling to his thighs.

"Your mom went out." It's the last voice Richie was expecting to hear in his parents' house. His shoulders hunch.

"Get out," he says. He doesn't turn to look when he hears his door hinges squeak open.

"Not until you talk to me."

"There's nothing to say, Eddie."

"No, I think there is," Eddie responds. He moves closer, and Richie can see him from the corner of his eye. "Like maybe you can tell me why I was accosted by an angry red head today in my own living room?"

"Fucking Beverly," Richie mutters.

"She says she won't leave until I talk to you. And I knew you'd just keep ignoring my calls." Eddie sits down on the floor next to Richie, and pulls the shirt he had been studying from his hands.

"So," Eddie tries to begin professionally, before his whole demeanor cracks in a second. "Fuck, Richie. Please come back. Please, we...Julia misses you."

"She's still young. She'll get over it."

"I miss you." Richie flinches at the feeling of Eddie's hand clamping down on his bare shoulder. "I miss you, Richie."

"Why? Can't handle all the dirty dishes anymore? Accidentally turning your whites pink in the wash?" Richie knows he's being childish but he doesn't want this. He can't concentrate when he can feel Eddie's hand gliding across his back. Eddie leans forward to press his forehead against Richie's back. 

"I don't miss having a housekeeper," Eddie says, his breath warm against Richie's back. "I miss you. Come home."

"Eddie-"

"No," Eddie breathes. "No. Every time I try to say something, you do this. You always pretend like we don't...Fuck, I didn't want you to leave, Richie. I just don't want to be your boss. I can't be anymore."

"Fuck, what do you want from me, then?" Richie closes his eyes, fists clenched at his thighs.

"You know," Eddie says, voice low. Suddenly, he's moving and seconds later, he's perched tentatively right across from Richie. He puts his hands on Richie's shoulders again. "You can't not know."

"I-" Richie gulps. "I don't..."

"You don't," Eddie states. His mouth is downturned and his eyes look so wide and... _sad._ However, he's still moving his hands on Richie, dragging his hands up Richie's neck, allowing his thumbs to brush across Richie's cheekbones. "Right. Well."

"I don't know what you want," Richie clarifies. "I don't have the faintest clue. I can't just return. It's not my home. It's yours."

"But it can be yours too," Eddie says, his thumbs running along the hollow of Richie's throat. "Julia needs you. I need you. We want you to come home."

"You'll find someone else," Richie weakly responds.

He's quickly losing this battle.

"Not like that," Eddie says quickly. "Not to cook our dinner, or do our laundry. We just... _want_ you. We need you in our lives."

Eddie leans closer and Richie's breathing begins to pick up.

"Edd-"

Eddie cuts him off by pressing his lips against Richie's gently, and Richie inhales sharply. He wishes this kiss wouldn't get such a response out of him, but unfortunately, he finds himself leaning in to the kiss, putting more pressure into it. A few seconds later, Eddie pulls back just an inch.

"Come home," he whispers against Richie's lips. His voice is like leaves in the wind. Richie's not sure what the right answer to that statement is, but he knows what answer he's going to give.

* * *

 

"Richie!" That's all Richie needs to hear before he gets down on one knee to brace himself for the impact of Julia, who flings herself at him full force. "You came back!"

"I did," he says. He lifts her up and twirls her around a few times. He can't help the grin that stretches across his face when he hears the delighted giggles Julia lets out. "I came home."

"Don't ever go away again," Julia says, her face sad. She pats his head a couple of times. "Ever. I was so scared."

"I'm sorry Jules, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Well you did," Julia sniffs. "Daddy said you left but I know you didn't because you didn't say goodbye. You wouldn't leave without saying goodbye, would you?"

"No," Richie shakes his head.

"Promise you won't leave again."

"I promise," Richie immediately responds, knowing that he's completely serious when he says it. "Cross my heart."

* * *

 

"She's asleep," Richie says as he pushes Eddie down on the couch and then settles down on top of him, a thigh on each side of Eddie's hips. Eddie's hand slips up the back of his shirt.

"You sure?" 

"Completely out," Richie says before he leans down and captures Eddie's mouth in a kiss. Eddie immediately opens his mouth and shoves his tongue past Richie's lips. Richie shivers at the feelings of Eddie's nails scraping against his spine.

It's been a week. A week since Richie came back. A week of trying to figure out who he is in the house, if not just the hired help anymore. A week of kisses in the morning while Julia is still getting dressed from school, a week of Eddie's hand on the back of his neck while they watch movies with Julia tucked in between the two of them, and a week of having to stop their make out sessions because they thought they heard Julia moving around.

"So, wanna make out?" Eddie asks as he slides his hand lower, dipping into the waistband of Richie's pants. 

"Nah, I'm good," Richie replies as he starts to unbutton Eddie's shirt, sliding it off and throwing it to the side. 

"No?" Eddie asks, leaving hot and wet kisses down Richie's neck, stopping to scrape his teeth against his jaw. Richie throws his head back and groans low and long. "So if I say we should go to my bedroom?"

Richie mock gasps.

"Why, Mr. Kaspbrak! Are you trying to take advantage of me?" Richie runs his fingers through Eddie's hair.

"Yes," Eddie responds without hesitation, bucking his hips up. "Yes, I am."

Richie moans and grinds his hips back down.

"Yes," he says. "Fuck yes, let's go."

The two men stand up, stumbling across the living room while shedding the rest of their clothing along the way.

* * *

 

Later that night, as the two men lay cuddled up on Eddie's bed, Richie finally allows himself to truly be happy. He really feels like he's in a right place now. With the right person.

He feels Eddie sleepily nose against his jaw, before pressing a lazy kiss against it. He leans up to Richie's ear and whispers one word, that makes Richie feel so  _alive._ One word that makes him feel like his whole world has just lit up in the best possible way.

"I will," Richie responds. "I will."

* * *

 

"Stay."

************


	5. Author's Note

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ!

This is literally just a quick author's note. I just got done reading the comments on the last chapter of this story. Thank you so much for everything you all had to say! It means so much to me that you guys ended up liking this story as much as I liked writing it.

Something I noticed was that quite a few of you guys were asking me to continue this story. I realize that I kind of ended it RIGHT when our two babies finally got together, so that leaves a lot of room for a sequel. If you all would like, I'd be more than happy to construct a sequel for this story. I have loved writing it and I've definitely grown attached to the characters I have written. If you all would like me to continue and make a sequel or "Part 2" to this story, please let me know in the comments!

Also, if you have any specific wants for the sequel, (ie. focus more on Reddie's new relationship, or bring in more Beverly/Ben/Stan/Mike/Bill, or more focus on Julia) let me know! I'm always so happy to read what you all have to say, so do not hold back on anything you'd like to see because I'd love to work with it. 

LASTLY, if anyone is an artist, please let me know because I have some pictures in mind for this story but I can't draw AT ALL! So, if anyone can draw well and would like to hopefully draw some pictures that represent this story, please let me know because I'd appreciate it greatly!

That's about it. Thanks guys! Love you as always!

**Author's Note:**

> So, what did you think? Please let me know if you'd like me to continue. I appreciate ANY and ALL feedback, thaaaaanks! :))


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